David Correy's 'The World Is Ours' Is Coca-Cola's 2014 World Cup Anthem (Exclusive)

"The World is Ours," performed by singer David Correy and Brazilian percussion troupe Monobloco, is Coca-Cola's global 2014 FIFA World Cup anthem, Coca-Cola sources have revealed exclusively to Billboard.

Correy, best known as a 2012 "X-Factor" finalist who re-connected with his Brazilian birth mother after appearing on the reality show, will debut the song live Thursday (Sept. 12) on Corcovado Mountain above Rio de Janeiro. The event will mark the opening of the Coke-sponsored World Cup Trophy tour, which takes the tournament trophy to 88 countries.

“The World is Ours” will be available for streaming on Coca-Cola partner Spotify and on some of the brand’s international sites, and will later be distributed to digital retailers and used in Coke’s “World’s Cup” campaign.

“Everything we produce, from TV advertisements to online film to digital and mobile activations, the song will be embedded and used throughout that,” says Joe Belliotti, director of global entertainment marketing at Coca-Cola. “We’re releasing the song and starting to seed it now. As the campaign rolls out and we get closer to the games it will be supported by more media and it will grow. In this environment, to achieve a truly global hit it takes this amount of time to really achieve success in over 180 countries.”

Coca-Cola, which has been an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup since 1978, set a precedent for such success in 2010 with their campaign theme “Wavin’ Flag,” which made the Somalia-born MC and singer/songwriter K’NAAN’s name known around the world. Coke used a “Celebration Mix” of the song as its promotional anthem for the 2010 FIFA South Africa World Cup, and “Wavin’ Flag” was recorded in almost 30 multilingual versions by K’NAAN together with international artists. “Wavin’ Flag” went to No. 1 in 18 countries. It sold 918,000 downloads in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

“The World is Ours,” whose inspirational lyrics readymade for stadium sing-alongs are set to a pumped up pop melody tethered by the Brazilian roots rhythms commonly identified with carnival, was written by song-writing team Rock Mafia (Miley Cyrus, Selena ). Brazilian-born Mario Caldato Jr., who has worked with the Beastie Boys, Jack Johnson, and Brazilian artists including Seu Jorge and Bebel Gilberto, produced the song.

“We always try to bring to light our campaign ideas through music and in 2014 we’re talking about the World Cup and bringing the world together,” Belliotti says. “That is what the song was meant to do from a lyric perspective. From a music perspective, we wanted the music to stay very authentic to Brazil, but in an original way that would resonate with an audience internationally … we’re taking that rhythm of Brazil and pairing it with just a great mainstream song.”

Correy and Monobloco will perform the anthem at select stops on the Trophy Tour, where fans’ voices will be recorded and added to future mixes. Artists from different countries will also collaborate with Correy on recordings of the song in different languages. A Portuguese version called “Tu Mundo,” with vocals by Brazilian singer Gaby Amarantos was released in June in Brazil. That song did not include Correy’s vocals.

“Sometimes when the trophy comes to a market we’ll build a moment around the music or if there’s something happening around the national team in that country we’ll build a moment around that,” Belliotti explains. “It’s a combination of global and local releases.”

Correy, 27, grew up in Maryland, the son of adoptive parents who encouraged his early talent for singing. He went on to win a scholarship to the Berklee School of Music.

On his first appearance on "X-Factor," he had judge Britney Spears in tears as he sang Bruno Mars’ “Just the Way You Are.” Correy announced at the audition that he was searching for his birth mother, who gave him up for adoption when she was a teenager in Recife, the city in Northern Brazil where Correy was born. The quest reached a Brazilian newspaper, which succeeded in connecting mother and son. Correy made it to the finals before being eliminated on "X-Factor," but as a result of his participation in the TV show he experienced the moment he describes as “the ultimate high:” performing in Recife with both his birth family and adoptive family sitting in the front row.

“We met dozens of artists but I don’t think anyone’s story resonated as powerfully as David’s.” Belliotti says of the choice of Correy to interpret the 2014 song and thus make his voice known around the world. “Not just his personal journey and what he has gone through in his life, but the way he has remained so optimistic, so encouraging to people to follow your dream and achieve what you can achieve.” Belliotti adds that Correy’s association with X-Factor, which is sponsored by rival Pepsi, did not weigh into the decision.

“Now the world gets to see not only David Correy the guy that was on a TV show,” the singer says of the opportunity. “It’s David Correy the artist, that gets a chance to represent this incredible brand.”

“The World of Ours” is the first global anthem to be unveiled for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, which opens in Sao Paulo on June 12. FIFA has yet to announce the official World Cup song.